Date: Thu, 07 May 1998 18:05:59 -0700
From: Jamie Foster
Subject: Compilation: SATB and recorder(s)

This is a compilation of responses to the following request posted
to ChoraList, music-list(a)prairienet.org, and rec.music.makers.choral:

"Would anyone be so kind as to suggest repertoire (including publisher
info, if possible) for choir (SATB) and small recorder ensembles. I'd
say we're an average church choir of about 25 voices, fairly well
balanced."

Many thanks to all who took time to respond...

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I just performed "Celebrate this day together" with my community choir.
It is a short, easy renaissance dance by Cleareau (?) arranged by P.
Liebergen (sp?). The score exists for SSA and SAB. I used the SAB score
and had my SA sing unison, T sung the alto line, and B their own line.
This worked fine for me, since the ladies in my choir are technically
weeker than the T and B sections.

I also transcribed each of the three parts for recorders (S, A and T)
and I did it a semitone lower (D minor) so that it would fit the
recorder fingerings easier. I also had percussionist drum throughout it
on a hand drum (with the jingles, and he played sitting, holding the
drum between his knees, and drumming with both hands). I freely repeated
sections and varied the musical forces in each repetition; the choir
opened the concert with this, and processed to the stage. It was very
successful. You might want to try it! There is also a Christmas text
which goes with it, if you'd like to use it at Xmas.

Do post your findings! I'm interested also in recorder with choirs :-)

Fabi
Fabiana Katz-Eser

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There's a whole lot of rep for 2 c instruments and choir and basso
continuo, which could have a bass recorder on it (although I think cello
or bassoon is best) look at the composers telemann, schutz, and
buxtehude. I've got several arrangements including english words as
well as the original. Typically I have taken a general hymn text and
worked it in. They work very well and are quite easy to do. Most
either had no instrumentation specified and many were violin 1 and 2.
They work fine with recorders.

Also the elizabethan lutenist school of Dowland, Campian, Daniels, etc
have pockets of sacred music for consort (unspecified) and solo voice as
well as duets (which can be sung quite well with mixed voices
alternating on the lines), and 4 part voices. These, again, need a
little creativity applied to mix and match voices and recorders but are
very, VERY expressive. Some of Dowlands work's, in particular, are
quite dark and are perfect for lent and holy week even with the normally
happy voices of recorders.

We can't forget purcell and handel as well. both have significant choral
pieces that include recorders. There are few if any transcriptions for
organ (or continuo) and choir and recorders of their work. But if you
can get hold of the full score and a piano vocal score it is quite easy
to arrange the thing quite nicely.

If you would like any more specifics write to me personally. Although,
I will be unavailable through May, I'll certainly get back with you when
I get back on-line.

What you are after is something that there is relatively little out
there (in that state). you have to typically pull it together yourself
and find things for strings and choir that will work. bear in mind
however, that not all baroque or renaissance pieces for strings and
choir make the leap to recorder and choir without great loss. pick and
choose carefully

Brian Cockburn
cockbuba(a)jmu.edu
choirmaster, Emmanuel Episcopal
Harrisonburg, VA

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I would like to suggest for your SATB choir the main work of
Dmitry Bortnyansky (1751-1825) "35 concerts for mixed choir
a cappella" (it was published in Moscow, but I can send you
some scores from it, if you wish).

Sincerely yours,
Alexei Bregadze,
"Alexei Y Bregadze"
Academic Choir of Moscow State University.

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That's easy! Any and all Renaissance or late Medieval "vocal" music,
either sacred or secular. You may be aware that with the exception of
the Sistine Chapel and perhaps a few other places, voices and
instruments were considered equal and interchangeable. Michael
Praetorius (early 17th century) even said that when dividing your choir
and placing them around the church to give the Venetian effect, "at
least one singer should be in each choir, so the text is not lost."

In practice, recorders doubling voices is a lovely sound, and contrast
can be obtained by dropping the recorders out in appropriate sections.
Be aware that the recorders sound at 4-foot pitch. That is, each
recorder actually plays an octave higher than the voice part which it
doubles. You can also create introductions, codas, or ritornelli between
verses for the recorders alone.

Best of luck!!

John

John & Susie Howell (John.Howell(a)vt.edu)
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034

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Coronet Press has some lovely pieces for treble instrument(s) and
choir. The distributor for Scotland is Kalmus. In the USA, Canada &
Mexico, it's Theodore Presser Co. Catalogs are available.

Natalie


********************
Natalie Pessin Bliss
Marketing Director
Theodore Presser Company
Bryn Mawr, PA, USA
npessin(a)presser.com

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>>Dowlands work's, in particular, are quite dark and are perfect for
lent and holy week even with the normally happy voices of recorders.

If you have recorder music without descants, the sound is much mellower.
In particular, Tenor and Bass can do 2-part work very effectively and be
much more sombre.

B
Bernard Hill

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I figured you would be inundated with answers, all telling you about
Bach's Cantata 106 ("Gottes Zeit ist die alle beste Zeit"). It is scored
for recorders and continuo.

Of course, it depends on the skills of your singers and the occasion for
which you need the music, but do consider it. It's so beautiful.

Pat

Patricia Abbott 49, de Tracy
Executive Director Blainville, QC,
J7C 4B7
Association of Canadian Choral Conductors Canada
L'Association des chefs de choeur canadiens Tel: (514)
430-5573
e-mail: accc(a)total.net Fax: (514)
430-4999
web site: http://www.islandnet.com/~ibullen/accc

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I edit a choral series for Kjos Music of San Diego. One of my composers
works in a church with a wonderful recorder player. He has made two
arrangements that call for recorder (or flute, if no recorder is
available). The first is an arrangement of "I Was There To Hear Your
Borning Cry." The second is not yet out, but should be in the next
month, or so, and is an arrangement of "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep
Silent." In both cases the arranger's name is John Helgen.

Kjos Music can be reached at (800) 854-1592. Hope this is of help.

Brad
bradley ross ellingboe

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Any of the early Baroque German repertoire (Praetorius, Schein, etc)
works GREAT with choir + recorders.

Kevin Kelly
Library Associate, Music Reference Library
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
706-542-2712
Internet: KKELLY(a)UGA.CC.UGA.EDU

kkelly

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Hymns. Descant, Treble, Tenor and Bass recorders all play what's written
in the respective voices but an octave higher. The recorders all sound
an octave higher than written except the Treble which sounds at pitch,
so you need treble players who can "read up an octave". NB Tenor part is
normally written on the treble clef like tenor voices.

Extreme keys are unkind but up to 4 accidentals should be within the
grasp of any recorder group. It's hard to slur (eg) Ab to Bb.

Bernard Hill
Scotland
Bernard Hill

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Do you know Arcadelt's "Hear My Prayer" for SATB? It was originally
an "Ave Maria," but works well with the general prayer text. There is
no recorder part written, but as you probably know, it was often the
custom to double the voices with instruments or occasionally fill in a
missing vocal line with an instrument before the Classical period. I do
not have the anthem handy here at home. It may be pub. by E. C.
Schirmer..

Richard Farrant's "Lord, For thy Tender Mercies' Sake" would probably
work well, also.

For Advent/Christmas, I have enjoyed adding one or two recorders and
cello to "Lo, How a Rose" by Michael Praetorius.

On all of these, the recorder consort could play an entire
introductory stanza, followed by the choir, then combine for the
second..

Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze" from Cantata 208 is originally scored
for two recorders, soprano solo and continuo. There is an SATB
arrangement with sacred text pub. G. Schirmer that requires a bit of
editing, but could work with two recorders on the obbligato parts and
possibly a bass recorder on the continuo line. Unless you and your
players are quite comfortable with clefs other than treble and bass,
beware the Bach Gesellschaft version which has the recorders playing in
different clefs.

Enjoy! It is a marvelous sound when the intonation is good!

Pat Maimone
patmai(a)juno.com (Patricia R. Maimone)

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It is my understanding as a former Madrigal singer that, in the
Renaissance, parts were played/sung freely according to who came to
dinner -- so you could select any Renaissance compositions you like and,
if they had more than 4 parts, all the better! I'm thinking, at the
moment, of the "Tudor Book of Anthems," which I believe to be published
by Oxford.

Best wishes,
Peggy L. Craig
"Peggy L. Craig"

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I have an octavo available for SATB and Recorders. It is a setting of
the English Traditional text I Saw Three Ships.

If you are interested in seeing a copy, send me a private eMail with
your regular mail address. I'll be happy to send it to you.

Best Regards,

Everett Reed
Aspen Grove Music
AGMusic(a)aol.com

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You might like to look at the new editions of Praetorius on Handlo Music
site. Viv James, the editor, is a keen recorder player and the keys were
chosen with recorders in mind.

Keith Hudson, General Editor, Handlo Music, http://www.handlo.com
6 Upper Camden Place, Bath BA1 5HX, England
Tel: +44 1225 312622; Fax: +44 1225 447727; mailto:khudson(a)handlo.com

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That's it! Thanks again!!!

Jamie
--
Jamie Foster, jamiefoster(a)fix.net
http://www.jf2.com, Pismo Beach, CA
FAX: (805) 773-4288; office phone: (805) 773-0101
For every action, there's an equal and opposite criticism.

---

Date: Sat, 09 May 1998 11:35:04 -0700
From: wmwood(a)gloryroad.net
Subject: SATB and recorder(s) (late entry)

I'm just catching up on list mail - the reason for the untimely
response.

I participated in an Advent program in the late 1970s with a short
cantata on "Comfort, comfort, ye my people," by Folkeimer (sp?)
published, i think by Augsburg. tune: Freu dich sehr or Ps. 42.

It was SATB, solo sop., solo mezzo/or alto; with recorder quartet.
(Bassoon could be used in place of bass recorder.)

After 20 years, details are kind of fuzzy, and it may be out of print,
but my lasting impression is favorable. Harmonies are somewhat modern
and well-arranged.

cheers,

Bill Wood
Henderson NC